Pleasant Valley Days Parade grand marshal is one of its founders

Doris Trease says Scofield's Pleasant Valley Days began as a 'reunion' to bring former residents back for a visit.

By JOHN SERFUSTINISun Advocate associate editor

The Grand Marshal of this Saturday's Pleasant Valley Days Parade remembers when there was no parade. In fact, there was no Pleasant Valley Days to speak of until Doris Trease and her late husband, Bud, staged the first one 33 years ago.

"It was supposed to be a reunion to bring people back to visit," Ms. Trease explains. As she reminisces in the living room of her Scofield home, she recalls the first one very well.

To create an old'fashioned Fourth of July weekend for the 1978 reunion, Bud went out and bought two or three pigs and a half'dozen live chickens. The livestock were for greased pig and chicken chasing contests for the kids.

"He used to grease a pole for a pole'climbing contest, too," she adds, noting that, "the kids got pretty dirty."

Bud also got fireworks to shoot off on the island in the lake. "We had to drive to Wyoming to get them," Ms. Trease recalls.

"The first one had only one vendor in the park, and that was me," she chuckles. She sold some of the paintings she made over the winter. Over the years, she continued to sell her paintings, but she was joined by more and more vendors as word got out.

Scofield and nearby Clear Creek did have traditional celebrations on Pioneer Day put on by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter'day Saints, but Pleasant Valley Days was a wider community effort centered on the Fourth of July. Early efforts at advertising and promotion were word of mouth, just a few phone calls to old friends and family members, she says.

Now that the event has grown to the point that the 30 or so permanent residents can't handle it all, the larger community of cabin owners, former residents and part'time residents are picking up the load.

The parade honoring Ms. Trease will begin at 10 a.m., with the traditional fireworks from the island starting at dusk Saturday. Other events set for the weekend include a treasure hunt for kids, a rubber ducky race in Mud Creek sponsored by the Kiwanis club, a talent show, spaghetti dinner. The rock climbing wall and other games will be there for young people to enjoy.

There's only one drawback to being Grand Marshal, Ms. Trease notes. "My grandchildren said to me, 'Gee, Grandma, this is the first time we won't be able to sit with you.' I told them not to worry, I'll wave."